I am leaving for my trip to Italy and Greece in literally twelve days and I am totally panicking because I still haven't picked a lens for my a7IV. I sold my old gear to upgrade specifically for this trip and now I'm sitting here with just the camera body and zero glass. I really need something that can do it all because we're gonna be doing a huge mix of stuff - narrow cobblestone streets in Rome, hiking in Santorini, and then some nice dinners where I want to get some good portraits of my wife.
I spent all night reading reviews and I'm more lost than when I started. I've been looking at a few options:
- Sony 24-105mm f4 G
- Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6
- Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art (the older one)
The 24-105 seems like the obvious choice but people online keep saying f4 is way too slow for indoor cathedrals or night shots without a tripod and I am NOT carrying a tripod around Athens in the summer heat. Then I saw the Tamron 28-200 which has that crazy range but I'm worried about the sharpness on a 33mp sensor... I dont want to get home and realize all my bucket-list photos are soft because I chose convenience over glass quality. Is the 28mm wide enough for those tight European streets? I feel like I might miss that extra 4mm on the wide end if I'm trying to capture the architecture.
My budget is capped at $1100ish so the high end GM stuff is totally out of the question for me right now. I also keep seeing people recommend just taking a fast prime like a 35mm but then I'd have no zoom at all which feels super risky for a big trip. I'm literally staring at my checkout screen right now and keep closing the tab because I'm so indecisive. If you had to pick just one lens to live on your camera for three weeks of walking 20k steps a day, which one are you taking?
> The 24-105 seems like the obvious choice Totally agree. In my experience, Sony FE 24-105mm f4 G OSS is your safest bet. The Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lacks that 24mm width. Lmk if you need more travel tips!
I have done that exact Mediterranean route with my a7IV and honestly, you are totally overthinking the f4 aperture! The Sony FE 24-105mm f4 G OSS is absolutely fantastic for travel because that 24mm wide end is essential for those tight Roman alleys.
- Versatility: You get amazing reach at 105mm for portraits and compressed architectural details.
- Stabilization: The OSS paired with your a7IV sensor stabilization makes handheld low-light shots in cathedrals totally doable.
- Consistency: It is way better for 20k step days than a heavy f2.8 zoom. I love this lens because the image quality is professional grade and it basically stays on my camera 90 percent of the time! While the Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD is a cool value option, 28mm is just too tight for narrow streets. Grab the Sony and dont look back!
